1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains in general to rocket launchers. More specifically, it provides a rocket retention and ignition system for use in a rocket launcher.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of known retention and ignition systems such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,315,565--Nash; 3,412,640--Nash; and 3,608,423--Nash, the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference, make use of detent or latch retention mechanisms and ignition mechanisms that permanently protrude into the interior of a launcher tube through holes bored in a side wall of the tube. Such mechanisms are directly in the path of the exhaust gases of the rocket and become corroded. Furthermore, such systems are unsatisfactory in that the retention and ignition mechanism requires rather large holes or slots in the launcher tube walls. These large holes or slots allow rocket exhaust to come into contact with the retention and ignition mechanisms which become corroded. The problem is even further accentuated because the holes or slots become eroded under the action of rocket exhaust.
Moreover, these retention and ignition mechanisms that protrude into the launcher tube may interfere with the reproducibility of the rocket release conditions since the mechanisms can be damaged during loading as, for example, when rockets are jammed against such mechanisms too hard. In this regard, the reproducibility of rocket release conditions is important to enhance the accuracy of the rockets being launched. This is true whether the rocket launcher has just one launch tube or more.
Other systems, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,938,431--Dixon; and 3,958,490--Zellmer et al, the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference, are unsatisfactory due to the disclosed pivotal (rotatable) retraction method necessitating such large holes or slots in the tube walls, thereby resulting in the aforesaid corrosion and erosion problems. The effect of this corrosion and erosion is important since both patents disclose rocket release only after the rocket thrust attains a force sufficient to overcome the spring or coil detent mechanism. Accordingly, such corrosion and erosion may interfere with the reproducibility of the rocket release conditions. Furthermore, such spring or coil mechanisms require a lot of maintenance which is undesirable.
Other known systems have utilized shear pins rather than detents or latches to retain a rocket loaded into the tube. The shear pins of a rocket engage a shear pin ring of the rocket launcher so that the shearing force of the shear pin determines the rocket release load. Such systems, however, suffer the additional operational disadvantage of requiring individual correct orientation of the rockets and/or its electrical connections, thereby increasing both the loading time and the incidence nonfunctioning or malfunctioning of the rocket ignition systems.
A more recent development is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,660--Smith et al, the teachings of which are also incorporated herein by reference. This Smith et al patent discloses a rear loading rocket launcher system. However, the rear loading system requires a special rear support (i.e. a second rear bulkhead) that increases the time required for loading the launcher since such support means must be removed and then replaced during loading. Furthermore, the firing coating is positioned so as to be directly in the path of the exhaust of the rocket. As a result, the firing contact may be corroded and/or melted by the exhaust.